At present, heavy electrical wire or cable is wound on large reels which have a hub and center opening therethrough to accommodate sophisticated lifting and support mechanisms for supporting the reel for rotation so that the wire or cable may be unwound therefrom during the wire or cable stringing or pulling operation. Prior art devices have suggested jack-type mechanisms or ball bearing-type mechanisms which have been difficult to use or very costly to manufacture, and in some instances, induced safety hazards to workers working with and manipulating the reel. The prior art devices used to unreel the cable have also taken up considerable amount of storage space as well as space for transportation to and from the job site.
Additionally, prior art devices for the transportation of cable or wire reels have included a flat bed truck with some means of securing the reel to the bed. This has presented the problem of inadvertent disengagement from the bed and damage to the reel. Moreover, loading the reel onto the truck has taken the form of hoists and cranes for lifting and positioning the reel onto the bed which has been a great source of damage to both the reel and workers as accidents often occur.